As Brothers
by pollypocket911
Summary: . Their parents are gone. Dead. Can they still be a family? More importantly,can they still be brothers?


**Hey everyone who is awesome! So I got this idea last night just before I got into bed. I only planned on outlining it because it was like 1am, but I ended up writing till 3am. I was riding the wave of creativity! Speaking of creativity, I would like to make an announcement/advertisement. Eh-Hem… Do you like imagery and intense word play? Do you enjoy a story that has the ability to cause you to wet yourself out of sheer excitement? Well then do I have a story for you! It's called Seen and Unseen by Year3000. This creative and EPICLY written novel was like a breath of fresh air. It truly is amazing and I encourage anyone who has the ability to read to use that talent on this story! **

**Okay thanks now on with my story! I hope you enjoy it!**

Joe Jonas sat hunched in a chair at the principles office with a black eye and a bloody lip. He didn't need a genius to tell him that he as in trouble. _BIG_ trouble. The situation became all the more real when he saw his angry older brother, Kevin, storm into the office. The look in Kevin's eye said it all; he was a dead man.

"Kevin," came the weary voice of the principle, "thank you so much for coming on such short notice." He gestured for Kevin to take seat next to his brother.

"No problem at all." Said Kevin politely and stepping forward to take the offered seat. Joe averted his eyes from his 18-year-old brother's gaze and attempted to sink farther down into the seat, secretly hoping it would swallow him whole. "I'd shake you hands but," Kevin held up his hands to show that they were covered in grimy car grease, "I had to come straight from work."

"I understand. Did my secretary fill you in on the, _situation_?" The principle looked at Joe over the brim of his glasses at the word situation.

Kevin shook his head, "No, only that Joe had been involved in a fight." He directed a heated look at Joe as he spoke, who had become very interested in an ink stain on the floor.

The principle cleared his throat, "Yes, it seems that Joseph attacked a fellow student in the boy's locker room. A few teachers were able to break it up before the fight escalated, but both boys refuse to say what it was about. As you know fighting of any kind is strictly against school policy. I really should expel you Joseph."

Joe looked up in utter horror as Kevin began to protest, "Please sir, I know Joe-"

The principle held up his hand for silence, "However, I have taken into consideration Joseph's past record, which is excellent I must say, and also in the light of," the principle paused for a moment, "certain events; I will let Joseph go with a warning and a two day suspension."

"Thank you very much sir, this won't happen again." Said Kevin honestly.

"See that it doesn't. You may go." Kevin nodded and then gestured for Joe to follow him. Just before the brothers left the principle added, "And boys?" both Kevin and Joe stopped at the door, "if you need anything, anything at all…"

"Thank you sir." Said Kevin before grabbing Joe's shoulders and ushering him out the door. Once outside the building, Joe kept his distance from his older brother, looking down at his shoes. When they rounded the corner, Kevin turned abruptly and pinned his little brother again the wall. Their faces were inches apart as he screamed, "What the HELL were you thinking Joe? Huh?" When Joe didn't answer, Kevin slammed him against the wall again and repeated the question, 'WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

Joe stared at his brother, clearly ashamed, "I'm sorry." He mumbled softly.

Kevin let out an exasperated laugh and released his grip. "Sorry? Is that really all you can say?" he ran a greasy hand through his curly hair in frustration, "Damn it Joe! Do you want to end up in foster care? Cause if you don't keep your nose clean that's where you, Nick and Frankie are gonna go. You know what child services said!"

"Yeah I know what child services said Kevin, I'm not deaf!" said Joe perhaps a little more harsh than he had intended.

"But clearly you're not intelligent, or this wouldn't have happened!" Joe looked away at these words, feeling tears sting his dark brown eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Kevin let out a sigh. "Car. Now." And Joe crossed his arms and headed towards the direction of the run down '67 Chevy impala. The ride home was completely silent, not even the radio was on. When they finally pulled into the driveway, Kevin turned off the ignition but made no move get out. Both boys sat in the same uncomfortable silence until Kevin spoke, "Will you at least tell me what the fight was about?" Kevin looked over at his 16-year-old brother. Joe whipped his nose with the back of his sleeve, but said nothing. Kevin let out a sigh, "Look, Joe. I know it's only been a few months since the accident-" he began quietly but Joe immediately stopped him.

"Don't Kevin." Joe half yelled as he unbuckled his seat belt.

"Don't what?" said Kevin, clearly confused.

"Don't try to be dad, because your not. You'll NEVER be." And Joe exited the car, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Kevin sat in shocked silence for a moment before recovering and jumping out of the car too. "JOSEPH!" he yelled after his brother as he forcefully shut his door, but Joe ignored his brother completely and entered their house. Nick had been sitting on the couch, lazily strumming a few cords on his beat up Gibson guitar when his older brother entered.

"Hey Joe." He said off handedly, but then he noticed his brother's battered face. "Jesus!" He exclaimed setting down his guitar and standing, "Joe what happened to your face?" Joe didn't get a chance to answer before a livid Kevin stormed into the house and slammed the door behind him.

"Do NOT walk away from me Joseph!" screamed Kevin as he advanced towards his brother, but Joe stood his ground.

"I can do whatever the hell I want! YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER!" shouted Joe, mere inches from Kevin's face.

Kevin shoved his brother roughly in the chest, "Oh grow up Joe! Open you're eyes and take a good look around! I'm all you have! Mom and dad aren't here and they're not coming back!" Joe lost it completely and punched his older brother in the jaw.

"GUYS STOP!" screamed Nick with as much authority as he could muster, stepping in between his older brothers before Kevin could throw a punch himself. "You're gonna wake up Frankie!"

Joe gave one last tear filled glare before running up the stairs to his room. Nick cautiously approached Kevin, who was rubbing his soar jaw and breathing heavily. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Said Kevin, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm going to go start dinner." Kevin made to head towards the kitchen, but Nick grabbed his arm, attempting to stop him.

"Kevin-" Nick said softly but Kevin shook him off.

"Not now Nick, please." And with that Kevin disappeared into the kitchen.

Nick sighed and slowly made his way into the bathroom. He turned on the sink and ran one of the hand towels under cold stream of water. After turning it off he headed up the stairs to Joe's room, and when he approached he could hear soft crying coming from the within. He lightly knocked on the wood door. "WHAT?" Came Joe's muffled voice.

"Joe? It's Nick." And Nick turned the doorknob and opened the door, not bothering to wait for permission. However he didn't actually move to enter Joe's room and opted to instead lean against the doorframe. Joe immediately sat up on his bed and attempted to wipe away the tears that were falling down his face.

"Hey Nick, what's up?" Joe attempted coolly, trying to hide a sniffle. Nick threw the wet towel at Joe, who caught it with one hand.

"You're lip, its bleeding everywhere." Said Nick and Joe looked from the towel to Nick clearly confused. "It's my week to do the laundry. I don't want to have to scrub the blood stains out of your sheets." He said seriously. And Joe couldn't help but let out a little laugh before placing the towel on his lip.

"Well, whatever I can do to make your life a little easier I suppose." Nick smiled at this and entered the room, sitting on Kevin's bed directly across from Joe.

"So, that fight was one for the books." Said Nick, taking a guitar pick off of Kevin's bedside table and began fiddling with it.

"That might be the understatement of the century." Joe groaned and winced as he pulled the cloth away from his cut.

"Kevin didn't…" Nick trailed off, indicating his brother's battered face.

"Oh hell no. I uh… I got in a fight… at school today." Joe mumbled, placing the towel below his black eye.

"With who?" gasped Nick and stopped playing with the guitar pick.

"Bobby Johnson." Said quietly.

"BOBBY JOHNSON? As in the school's heavy weight wrestling champion Bobby Johnson?" exclaimed Nick in astonishment, and Joe nodded. "Dude, you sure know how to pick 'em Joe."

Joe chuckled, "I'm a man of many talents."

Nick just laughed and shook his head, but sobered almost immediately. "What the heck did he say to you man?"

Joe sighed, setting the cloth on his pillow and began to play with the hem of his shirt. "He said that we were lucky our parents were dead." Nick looked at his brother stunned, "He said that they were lucky they couldn't see what pussy screw-ups their sons had become. He made fun of the fact that we sing and that Kevin dropped out of school to work at that crappy garage. He called Frankie an "accident" baby. Like our parents didn't mean to have him. Like he was a _fucking_ mistake. I… just could let him get away with that. I guess I just snapped."

"Wow. What a dick." Said Nick, and threw the guitar pick back on the bedside table. Joe nodded in agreement. "But you're a dick too you know." Nick said critically and Joe looked up at his brother in alarm. "The way you treated Kevin… the way you showed him zero respect. That's not cool man."

"You should have HEARD him though Nick! He practically called me stupid! Like he fucking knows it all! He's not DAD!"

"Yeah I know he's not! And I think he knows that better than anyone!" Said Nick and stood up to look down on his brother, "I know he's not perfect but he's sacrificed so much for us! We would have ended up in a foster home or worse if Kevin hadn't agreed to take us in! You're right he's not mom or dad but he's doing the best he can! The LEAST we can do is cut him a bit of slack!" Nick paused, breathing heavy, "We owe him that Joe."

Joe just stared up at his little brother in silence, mulling over what he had heard. "How OLD are you again?" asked Joe in awe.

Nick laughed a bit and stood up a little taller. "I'm 13 going on 30 thank you very much."

"So you're Jennifer Garner then. This explains SO much!" said Joe in mocked astonishment.

"Oh ha ha." Said Nick, hitting his brother in the arm jokingly. "Seriously though man, you need to say sorry. Mom and dad raised us better than the way you've been acting."

"Yeah I know. I'm going I'm going." Said Joe pealing himself off the bed and heading for the door. Before he left he turned back to his brother. "Hey Dr. Phil, thanks for listening."

"I'll be sending you my bill shortly." Joe laughed at Nick and went to go find Kevin. He found his brother in the kitchen, pounding the crap out of chicken breast with a meat tenderizer.

"Hey Kevin I think its dead." Kevin stopped pounding the chicken for a moment at the sound of his brother's voice, before continuing to hammer on it with twice the force. He didn't bothering to look up at Joe. Joe sighed and entered the kitchen leaning against the counter that Kevin as working on. "Hey Kevin I'm sorry. I really am." Kevin stopped pounding the chicken. He still didn't look at his brother, but Joe could tell he had Kevin's full attention. "What I did was uncalled for and WAY out of line. I really do appreciate everything you've done, everything you've _sacrificed_ for us. I'm so sorry Kev." Kevin calmly put down the meat tenderizer and turned to face his brother.

"And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have shoved you. I was just so scared that I would loose you like we-" Kevin's voice cracked with emotion, and he took a moment to regain himself before continuing, "like we lost mom and dad. I don't think I'd be able to take that. I don't know if I could live with my self if…" Kevin's voice trailed off.

Joe put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "You won't loose us that easily. It's gonna take a little more than a fight to get them to tear us apart. Now you're cooking on the other hand," said Joe, gesturing towards the battered chicken on the counter, and Kevin laughed "could totally constitute as child abuse in like all 50 states I think."

"Oh I'm not that bad."

"Kevin, that's like saying the pope isn't catholic or something. It's a complete lie!" said Joe, ducking as Kevin threw a playful swing at him.

"Dude, stop dodging my punches and take it like a man!"

"I not _A_ man, I'm _THE_ man!" said Joe making a muscle.

"Oh yeah? Prove it little bro!" said Kevin crossing his arms in disbelief.

Joe placed his elbow on the table. "Arm wrestle?" Kevin looked at him seriously and also placed his arm on the table.

"Bring it on little brother." The boys then began to arm wrestle. A few minutes later Nick walked into the room with Frankie in toe, and paused at the sight of his older brothers.

"Umm what are you guys doing?" question Nick with amusement.

"Test of manhood fro bro." Grunted Kevin, who was clearly starting to gain the upper hand. Just then the phone started to ring.

"NICK GET THAT!" both Joe and Kevin shouted as they continued their epic battle of muscle.

"Frankie, take notes. This is what happens to guys who can't get dates." Said Nick said as he left to pick up the phone.

"I heard that bro, you are SO getting poned after I wipe the floor with Kevin's ass!" Grunted Joe as he continued to struggle.

"Dude! Five-year-old in the room! Keep the language at a PG level!" said Kevin, sweat starting to pour down his brow. A few second later Kevin had succeeded in pining Joe's arm to the table and he raided his arms in victory. "Oh yeah! SHUT DOWN!" and he began doing a little victory dance in the kitchen. Joe just scowled.

"Best out of three!" Joe exclaimed, positioning his arm on the counter once more.

"Dude. It's over. You lost. Let it _go_!" said Kevin, tussling his older brother's wavy hair.

Joe was about to respond when he felt someone tug on the hem of his shirt. He looked down to see Frankie staring up at him with big brown eyes.

"Joe I think something's wrong with Nick." And Frankie pointed a pudgy finger at the third youngest Jonas. Nick was staring down at the phone with a look of complete shock on his face. Joe immediately expected the worst.

"Nick? Who was it? It wasn't child services was it?" asked Joe shakily. Nick just shook his head, not taking his eyes off the phone. Kevin visible relaxed for a moment when hi worst fears were not confirmed.

"Then what is it?" pressed Kevin taking a step towards his little brother.

Nick sighed heavily. "That was Harold Beckley."

"Harold Beckley as in the Columbia Records producer?" asked Joe, who gripped the edge of the counter like his life depended on it.

"He listened to our demo… he wants to _sign_ us." Said Nick, looking up from the phone for the first time. There were tears in his eyes.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" screamed Joe in excitement, grabbing his hair in disbelief.

"He wants to meet with us tomorrow to discuss song choices for the record." Informed Nick, eyes wide as if still in shock.

"THAT'S FANTASTILISTIC!" exclaimed Joe, running to his brother and picking him up spinning him around! Nick finally snapped out of his trance and began jumping up and down with his brother. Frankie soon joined in, though it was apparent that he had no idea what was going on. After minutes of celebrating Nick noticed one brother who was not joining in the celebration.

"Kevin?" asked Nick breathlessly, his brow furrowed with concern at the sight of his oldest brother crouching on the floor and shaking lightly. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm happy it's just… I wish mom and dad could see." Kevin trailed off and Joe crossed the kitchen to where his brother was. He placed two hands on Kevin's shoulders and pulled him to his feet so that he could look his brother in the eyes.

"But they can Kev; they're watching us right now. I bet dad's doing his happy dance and mom is in God's kitchen whipping up victory cake." Kevin laughed as the image entered his mind and he wiped his red eyes. He pulled Joe into a hug.

"I love you Joe."

"I love you too Kevin." Said Joe into his brother's shoulder. He pulled away slightly and gestured to his younger brothers, "Get your butts over here rockstars." Both Nick and Frankie giggled as they joined the group hug.

They all stayed like that for along time. No one said it but they were all thinking it; there was finally hope. Though they knew that the road ahead would be rough and unforgiving, they would face it together as a family, as _brothers_.

**Oh wow HI! HIIIIEEEEEYYYYA!! HI HI HI HI! I'm so happy you made it to the end! Now review PLEASE!**


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